The Best Summer Food Festivals In the Country

When it comes to summer festivals, music has a monopoly. Everyone knows Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza.

But food festivals don’t get enough love. And the secret is they’re way cheaper than music fests, and often just as fun. 

“Across the U.S., you can find a great summer food festival or fair in pretty much any city or town,” says Noah Cappe, host of the Cooking Channel’s Carnival Eats. Here are 10 of the tastiest.

Park City, Utah

Long regarded as a ski bum’s paradise, Park City’s food scene is starting to rival its legendary powder. 

One night each summer, the idyllic mountain town shuts down its main street, lines the boulevard with outdoor tables, and invites the area’s award-winning chefs and distillers to treat hundreds of guests to the best dinner and drinks they have to offer.

(June 18, prices vary, parkcityrestaurants.com)

Related: The Coolest Tourist Attraction in Every State

Yarmouth, Maine

Whether you’re a fifth-generation New Englander or just a guy with a penchant for mollusks, Maine’s favorite food festival offers you all the clammy delights you crave. Lobster rolls and strawberry shortcake are also offered in abundance. 

(July 15-17, free, clamfestival.com)

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

You can hate on hipsters and their fondness for dressing like 19th-century gold miners. But every Saturday this summer, a collection of 100 New York food vendors will assemble in ultra-hip Williamsburg to offer visitors some of the best and most creative cheap eats on the planet. 

(Every Saturday, free, smorgasburg.com)

Atlanta, Georgia 

You may not think of the Peach State as ground zero for barbecue. But unlike fests in BBQ hotbeds like North Carolina, Texas, and Kansas City, Atlanta’s event invites grill masters of all styles to compete. The true winner: your taste buds.

(August 12-13, $10, atlbbqfest.com)

Related: 18 Foods You Didn’t Know You Could Grill

Seattle, Washington

With dozens of food trucks, pop-up stands, and booths featuring the top offerings from many of the Pacific Northwest’s most creative chefs, this festival is a must-visit for Washington and Oregon foodies. 

(August 20-21, free admission, seattlestfoodfest.com)

New Orleans, Louisiana 

While the seminars and demos at this premier cocktail festival are reserved for industry folk, tons of free events are staged every day and night at bars all over the Big Easy. 

Keep an eye out for event signs advertising “Dynamic Duos,” and you’ll find some of the country’s top-shelf mixologists working behind the bar.   

(July 19-24, free, talesofthecocktail.com)

Related: The Men’s Health Guide to New Orleans

Gilroy, California

Forget wine country. A few hours south of Napa you can join your garlic-loving brethren at this one-of-a-kind event—now in its 38th year—in the heart of America’s peak garlic-growing region. 

Eat garlic ice cream while chatting with the winner of the Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival Queen Pageant. (Total babe, so-so breath.) 

(July 29-31, free, gilroygarlicfestival.com)

Asheville, North Carolina

The best food festivals give you a taste of a place and its people—not just its food. As its name implies, Asheville’s annual beer fest is as much about the Appalachian twang of banjos and bluegrass as it is about the area’s awesome craft brews. 

Pony up $150 for a VIP ticket, and you’ll have access to free snacks and specialty beers—as well as exclusive bathroom access. 

(September 17, tickets starting at $62, brewgrassfestival.com)

Chicago, Illinois

At Chicago’s premier summer food event, hundreds of vendors serve up their best brats, burgers, and brews. The sheer size of the festival means it’s nearly impossible not to find tantalizing eats. 

If you’re looking to combine great food with great music, this year’s Taste of Chicago will feature The Roots, The Decemberists, Billy Idol, and other acts.

(June 6-10, free, cityofchicago.org)

Related: The Better Man Project—2,000+ Scientific Ways to Be More Awesome From Men’s Health

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Taking place on four different summer nights and in four neighborhoods spread throughout the City of Brotherly Love, this annual food-truck gathering has become a destination for East Coast urban foodies. 

“These killer summer street festivals are attended by some of the best food and beverage talent in the city,” says Michael Welsh, founder of Philly’s acclaimed cocktail bars Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. and Brick and Mortar.

(May through October, free, thefoodtrust.org)